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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. dip — to sink
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. land — ground
  6. stock — goods
  7. march — the month
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. march — music
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. land — a country
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. march — the month
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com